Clinical evaluation of bone graft and implants osteointegration

Objectives: To study the clinical evolution of the osteointegration of implants inserted into grafted bone. Methods: Sixteen patients received 36 implants and bone chip grafts stabilized with titanium mesh to correct atrophic alveolar ridges. After 2 months, second-stage surgery was performed to evaluate the incorporation of the graft and to evaluate implant stability with RFA during the overall observation period, in relation to graft healing and implant function. Results: Two of the 36 implants were lost during the three-year follow-up. The bone defects were completely filled in 64.7% of the cases. The primary stability showed low implant stability quotient (ISQ) values (average value [AV], 52.2 ISQ). The biggest increase in ISQ values (AV 59.33 ISQ) was registered after the first 2 months, and a second one (AV 63.58 ISQ) when prosthetic loading was applied. When the graft was not fully incorporated, implant stability increased more slowly and was more influenced by function. Conclusions: Two months seemed to be a sufficiently long healing period for bone chip graft incorporation. Bone graft incorporation seemed to improve implant stability significantly. Functional loading did not appear to jeopardize bone graft healing, but rather slightly augmented ISQ values.